£  \  (a  5  Ou 

[Reprinted  from  the  Library  journal,  February,  1908.] 


AMERICAN  LIBRARIES  — A  METHOD  OF  STUDY  AND  INTERPRETATION 


By  Salome  Cutler  Fairchild 


During  an  extended  experience  in  library 
school  instruction,  I  have  been  impressed  with 
the  need  of  an  effective  method  by  which  stu¬ 
dents,  with  a  reasonable  expenditure  of  time, 
may  secure  a  good  working  knowledge  of 
American  library  conditions.  From  the  first 
the  history  of  ancient  and  mediaeval  and  for¬ 
eign  libraries  has  been  given  in  a  somewhat 
systematic  and  satisfactory  way  in  the  schools. 
For  several  years  a  knowledge  of  American 
libraries  was  left  to  casual  mention  by  lec¬ 
turers  in  the  different  subjects,  to  voluntary 
reading  of  library  periodicals  and  to  a  class 
report  on  current  events.  About  1892  I  began 
to  work  out  the  problem  in  the  New  York 
State  Library  School,  and  by  1900  a  method 
had  been  evolved,  which,  when  fully  devel¬ 
oped,  will  result  in  material  that  can  easily 
be  made  available  to  the  various  library 
schools,  to  library  clubs  and  associations,  and 
also  to  library  staffs.  Such  a  method  is 
needed  not  only  by  library  students,  but  also 
by  librarians  and  assistants. 

Library  development  has  been  so  rapid  that 
it  is  impossible  for  even  the  most  intelligent 
and  experienced  librarians  to  follow  it  in  de¬ 
tail.  Those  who  are  thoroughly  familiar  with 
work  in  one  part  of  the  country  are  ignorant 
of  other  fields ;  some  are  so  absorbed  in 
phases  of  the  movement  that  other  equally 
significant  features  are  almost  outside  their 
ken.  It  is  perhaps  safe  to  assume  that  al¬ 
though  many  have  a  wide  knowledge,  no  one 
of  all  the  thousands  of  library  workers  in  the 
country  to-day  has  a  comprehensive  knowl¬ 
edge  of  library  conditions.  If  a  person  quali¬ 
fied  for  the  task  could  take  the  time  to  make  a 
somewhat  exhaustive  study  of  the  whole  field, 
and  then  to  sum  up  the  results,  winnowing  out 
from  the  mass  the  unessential  and  the  insig¬ 
nificant  and  putting  what  remains  into  a  form 
in  which  it  may  be  quickly  and  pleasantly 
assimilated,  a  service  might  be  rendered  to 
librarianship. 

Such  a  common  basis  of  understanding  would 
counteract  the  one-sided  and'  faddish  develop¬ 
ment  to  which  the  library  movement  is  ex¬ 
posed,  and  would  make  discussion  between  li¬ 
brarians  more  intelligent  and  profitable.  It 
would  also  serve  as  a  means  of  cultivating  in 


the  whole  body  of  workers  what  we  are  in  the 
habit  of  calling  the  library  spirit.  With  the 
increase  in  the  number  of  assistants  incident 
to  the  rapid  spread  of  libraries,  we  are  in  dan¬ 
ger  of  losing  the  individual  initiative  and 
spirit  of  devotion  which  are  the  very  breath  of 
life  to  the  movement.  Our  libraries  have  been 
centers  of  noble  influence,  not  simply  because 
we  have  distributed  good  books,  but  because 
we  as  individual  library  workers  have,  in  the 
spirit  of  courtesy  and  helpfulness,  given  to 
individuals  the  right  book.  Each  reader  has 
felt  that  we  cared  whether  he  got  the  right 
book  or  not.  As  our  cities  grow  and  as  we 
rightly  become  ambitious  to  reach  the  whole 
city  life  by  branches  and  delivery  stations 
and  travelling  libraries,  it  comes  about  that 
many  hands  are  needed  to  do  the  work.  The 
New  York  Public  Library  in  its  circulating 
department  has  406  employees.  How  shall  we 
prevent  the  institutional  spirit  from  creeping 
into  the  library?  How  shall  we  keep  the 
workers  from  feeling  that  they  are  hired  by 
the  city  to  make  a  shelf-list,  or  to  register 
readers,  or  to  carry  books  from  the  stacks  to 
the  loan  desk,  or  to  get  as  much  work  as  pos¬ 
sible  out  of  a  force  of  people  in  a  department, 
all  for  so  many  hours  a  day,  for  so  many  dol¬ 
lars  a  month?  What  shall  preserve  the  unity, 
the  public  spiritedness,  the  delight  in  working 
together  for  a  common  noble  end  which  shall 
prevent  any  worker  in  the  large  library,  how¬ 
ever  humble  his  part,  from  becoming  simply  a 
cog  of  a  wheel  in  a  machine,  and  keep  him  an 
intelligent  sharer  in  a  high  enterprise?  We 
need  a  feasible  method  by  which  we  can  tell 
him  in  a  graphic  and  interesting  way  the  story 
of  his  past,  by  which  we  can  make  him  realize 
himself  as  a  part  of  the  chain  of  libraries 
which  in  the  West  and  in  the  East,  in  the 
South  and  in  the  North  are  doing  valiant  so¬ 
cial  service,  together  with  other  public  utili¬ 
ties,  fighting  the  battle  against  ignorance  and 
greed  and  selfish  ease,  and  bringing  in  “nobler 
modes  of  life.”  A  serious  study  of  library 
conditions  would  make  prominent  the  failures 
and  limitations  of  the  library  movement.  It 
should  develop  a  controlled  and  intelligent 
enthusiasm,  instead  of  the  frothy  and  fever¬ 
ish  effervescence  by  which  librarians  have  at 


2 


times  been  possessed,  and  which  discredits  us 
in  the  eyes  of  scholars  and  educators. 

One  or  more  persons  should  devote  as  much 
time  as  is  necessary  to  making  the  prelim¬ 
inary  study  of  conditions.  They  should  be 
able  to  command  not  only  time  but  leisure. 
They  should  be  willing  to  read  carefully  sets 
of  library  reports  and  any  other  documentary 
material.  Starting  with  a  good  knowledge  of 
libraries  and  an  acquaintance  with  librarians, 
they  should  visit  libraries  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  remaining  long  enough  in  one  place 
to  get  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  method  of 
work.  They  should  have  a  sense  of  propor¬ 
tion,  a  spirit  of  fairness,  the  ability  to  see  and 
to  state  all  sides  of  a  question  without  bias 
and  prejudice;  they  should  be  in  sympathy 
with  every  variety  of  library  work  and  en 
rapport  with  workers  in  all  sections  of  the 
country. 

I  do  not  believe  that  a  presentation  in  book 
form  is  the  best  method  of  making  available 
the  results  of  investigation.  Library  students 
might  read  such  a  book  if  made  the  basis  of 
a  course.  Librarians  and  assistants  would 
not  read  it.  They  do  not  now  read  a  tithe 
of  the  library  literature  which  they  have. 
For  this  reason  the  “Contributions  to  Amer¬ 
ican  library  history”  projected  by  the  Li¬ 
brary  of  Congress,  though  wisely  planned 
and  admirably  executed  in  the  single  volume 
issued,*  does  not  fill  the  whole  need.  An¬ 
other  objection  to  a  volume  on  American  li¬ 
braries  is  the  fact  that,  like  a  catalog,  it  would 
be  out  of  date  before  it  could  be  printed. 

The  illustrated  lecture  lend's  itself  more 
readily  to  the  end  desired  than  any  other 
method'  of  presentation.  The  school,  the  li¬ 
brary  club  and  institute  and  the  staff  meet¬ 
ing  provide  a  natural  way  of  introducing  the 
lectures.  It  is  becoming  very  common  to  equip 
audience  rooms  with  lanterns.  I  do  not,  how¬ 
ever,  propose  the  random  talk  which  too  often 
accompanies  an  exhibition  of  slides.  The  time 
is  past  for  associating  the  lantern  talk  ex¬ 
clusively  with  popular  methods  of  entertain¬ 
ment.  Universities  and  scientific  societies  are 
using  slides  as  a  means  of  explaining  and 
vivifying  the  regular  lecture  and'  address. 
Each  lecture  should  be  carefully  written.  It 
would  be  no  easy  task  to  cull  out  of  the  mass 
of  material  that  which  has  life  and  meaning, 

♦William  Dawson  Johnston,  “History  of  the  Libra¬ 
ry  of  Congress,”  1904,  v.  1,  1800-1864. 


and  to  present  it  in  a  vivid  and  agreeable  way. 
The  photographs  must  be  selected  with  equal 
care.  Indeed  in  many  cases  they  do  not  ex¬ 
ist  and  must  be  taken.  The  necessary  pictures 
are  difficult  to  secure.  They  must  show  the 
library  at  work.  Interior  views  must  be  ob¬ 
tained'  exhibiting  groups  of  people  in  the 
various  rooms,  taken  at  just  the  right  mo¬ 
ment  to  illustrate  the  typical  activities  of  the 
place.  Slides  of  library  maps  could  also  be 
employed  to  advantage. 

I  am  well  aware  of  the  difficulties  attendant 
upon  giving  illustrated  lectures.  The  inex¬ 
perienced  lecturer  puts  his  mind  at  ease  when 
arranging  to  speak  before  an  institution  of 
standing.  He  is  assured  that  the  lantern  fa¬ 
cilities  are  superior,  secured  under  expert  ad¬ 
vice  and  at  large  expense.  The  event  too 
often  proves  that  a  slow  or  bungling  operator, 
insufficient  light  or  the  total  failure  of  light  in 
the  midst  of  a  delivery,  entirely  spoils  the  ef¬ 
fect  of  his  carefully  prepared  lecture  and  of 
the  illustrations,  which  involve  so  great  an 
outlay  in  money,  pains  and  patience.  The 
only  resource  open  is  to  arrive  early,  to  insist 
on  being  conducted  to  the  lecture  hall,  and  to 
have  a  little  practice  with  the  operator.  Even 
then  one  can  never  allow  for  the  vagaries  of 
electricity.  The  necessity  of  attention  to  de¬ 
tails  in  these  matters  will  become  so  evident 
that  the  difficulties  will  almost  entirely  dis¬ 
appear.  Lantern  work  which  approximates 
perfection  is  already  secured  for  the  public 
lectures  offered  by  the  Department  of  Educa¬ 
tion  of  New  York  City,  under  the  watchful 
supervision  of  Dr.  Henry  M.  Leipziger.  An¬ 
other  disadvantage  of  illustrated  lectures  lies 
in  the  fact  that  students  are  unable  to  take 
notes  and  that  a  darkened  room  prevents  the 
closeness  of  touch  between  speaker  and'  lis¬ 
teners  so  desirable  in  teaching.  A  printed 
syllabus  for  each  lecture,  giving  not  only  its 
outline,  but  all  facts,  figures,  and  sources 
partially  obviates  the  first  difficulty.  The  sec¬ 
ond  may  sometimes  be  lessened  by  removing 
the  slide  whenever  a  long  interval  occurs  be¬ 
fore  the  introduction  of  a  new  one.  The  light 
from  the  lantern  restores  speaker  and  lis¬ 
tener  to  each  other.  In  spite  of  inherent  dis¬ 
advantages  which  cannot  be  fully  overcome, 
the  method  seems  the  only  way  of  making  the 
distinctive  features  of  one  library  real  and 
clear  to  the  workers  in  other  libraries. 

The  following  program  of  subjects  covers 


3 


the  ground  with  considerable  fulness,  at  the 
same  time  allowing  for  expansion  as  the  need 
for  more  lectures  may  develop. 

OUTLINE  OF  A  COURSE  OF  LECTURES  ON 
AMERICAN  LIBRARIES 

General 

Function  of  the  library. 

Types  of  libraries. 

Sketch  and  analysis  of  the  library  movement. 
The  American  Library  Association. 

Leaders  in  the  movement. 

Library  schools. 

Library  commissions  and  associations. 
Descriptive 

Public  libraries  (urban  and  rural). 

Free  reference  libraries. 

College  libraries. 

Library  of  Congress. 

State  libraries. 

Proprietary  libraries. 

Subscription  libraries. 

Subject  libraries. 

Comparative 

Buildings. 

Branch  libraries. 

Access  to  shelves. 

Children’s  library  work. 

Work  for  special  classes. 

Catalog  departments. 

Reference  departments. 

Geographical 

Library  facilities  of  Boston. 

Library  facilities  of  New  York. 

Library  facilities  of  Philadelphia. 

Library  facilities  of  Washington  and  Balti¬ 
more. 

Library  facilities  of  Chicago. 

Library  facilities  of  the  United  States  geo¬ 
graphically  considered. 

The  lecture  on  “Types  of  libraries”  should 
differentiate  clearly  the  forms  in  which  the 
library  idea  has  appeared.  Free  circulating 
libraries,  both  endowed  and  tax-supported, 
free  reference,  university  and'  college,  govern¬ 
ment,  proprietary  and  subscription  libraries, 
and  libraries  on  special  subjects,  should  be 
shown  in  their  historical  development.  The 
way  in  which  they  fit  together,  each  supple¬ 
menting  the  work  of  the  others  in  supplying 
the  book  needs  of  a  modern  community, 
should  also  be  set  forth. 

In  the  lecture  entitled  “Sketch  and  analysis 


of  the  library  movement”  the  steps  in  our 
progress  should  not  be  treated  simply  by 
enumerating  detached  events.  They  should 
be  shown  as  part  of  an  orderly  growth,  in 
their  relation  to  each  other  and  to  the  devel¬ 
opment  of  American  civilization  of  which  li¬ 
brary  history  is  one  manifestation.  Suitable 
illustrations  play  an  important  part  in  this 
lecture.  The  files  of  Library  journal  and 
Public  Libraries  should  be  gone  through,  and 
the  more  closely  the  lecturer  has  been  identi¬ 
fied  with  the  movement,  the  more  valuable 
such  a  bird’s-eye  view  may  be  made. 

The  same  is  true  of  the  lectures  on  the 
“American  Library  Association”  and  “Leaders 
in  the  library  movement.”  It  is  essential  that 
the  lecturer  should  have  a  personal  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  the  leaders  and  have  been  actively 
associated  in  the  work  of  the  Association. 
He  should  not,  however,  shirk  the  task  of 
searching  diligently  the  Proceedings,  that  the 
presentation  may  be  accurate  as  well  as  vivid. 
Reminiscences  of  the  oldest  members  of  the 
association  would  throw  much  light  on  the 
earliest  history.  Library  exhibits  should  be 
included  in  the  lecture  on  the  American  Li¬ 
brary  Association. 

Much  useful  work  has  been  done  by  A.  L. 
A.  committees  on  library  training,  but,  so  far 
as  I  am  aware,  no  member  of  such  a  commit¬ 
tee  has  ever  had  the  time  to  spend  even  a  week 
at  a  school,  hearing  lectures,  examining  the 
work  of  students,  getting  in  touch  with  the 
faculty  and  with  the  student  body,  thus  learn¬ 
ing  the  governing  ideals  and  the  actual  work 
of  the  school.  Such  a  study  of  library  train¬ 
ing  ought  to  be  made. 

“Library  commissions  and  associations,”  the 
story  of  the  way  in  which  the  library  idea  has 
taken  root  and  grown  in  the  widely  varying 
soils  of  the  different  states,  is  a  fascinating 
subject.  A  study  of  state  history,  political  and 
literary,  and  of  the  printed  matter  issued  by 
each  commission,  must  be  followed  by  visits 
to  typical  centers  in  company  with  the 
organizers.  The  travelling  library  should 
be  followed  to  its  destination.  A  seat  on  the 
book  wagon  should  be  secured.  Library  insti¬ 
tutes  would  naturally  be  treated  in  this  lecture. 
“Illinois  libraries,”  by  Miss  Katharine  L. 
Sharp,  of  which  part  i  was  published  in  1906 
as.  v.  2,  no.  1  of  University  of  Illinois  Studies, 
would  prove  an  invaluable  aid  to  an  investi- 


4 


gator  in  Illinois.  Other  states  will  in  time 
be  covered  in  the  Library  of  Congress  Con¬ 
tributions. 

A  course  on  “American  libraries”  should  in¬ 
clude  library  periodicals.  But  it  may  be  that 
a  printed  list,  fully  annotated  and  containing 
foreign  as  well  as  American  periodicals,  would 
serve  the  purpose  as  well  as  a  lecture. 

Descriptive  lectures  on  “Representative  li¬ 
braries”  form  perhaps  the  most  important 
division  of  the  proposed  course.  If  we 
would  understand  the  library  situation, 
we  must  know  how  individual  libraries 
are  studying  and  solving,  or  failing  to 
solve  their  problems.  The  libraries  studied 
should  include  all  the  great  libraries  of  the 
country,  also  a  selection  of  libraries  of  each 
type,  of  various  sizes,  and  in  ail  sections  of 
the  country.  The  distinction  between  “large” 
and  “small”  public  libraries  so  often  at¬ 
tempted,  is  vague  and  unsatisfactory.  The 
terms,  urban  and’  rural,  suggested  by  Mr.  R. 
R.  Bowker,  might  well  be  adopted.  A  list  of 
one  hundred  representative  libraries,  selected 
by  consultation  as  suitable  for  study,  was 
printed  in  Library  journal,  1904,  29:158-9. 
It  includes  fifty-four  public  libraries,  all  of 
them  urban.  A  few  typical  rural  libraries 
should  be  added,  also  the  most  important 
special  subject  libraries. 

The  investigator  should'  begin  the  study  of 
each  library  by  reading  a  history  of  the  insti¬ 
tution  if  one  exists;  he  should  then  read  a 
complete  set  of  its  reports,  taking  careful 
notes,  and  should  look  through  all  important 
matter  which  it  has  issued.  He  is  then  ready 
to  begin  his  study  on  the  spot.  He  should 
spend  a  good  part  of  each  day  at  the  library, 
going  from  one  department  to  another,  but 
giving  most  attention  to  those  where  the  li¬ 
brary  comes  in  touch  with  readers.  If  he  can 
use  the  library  as  a  reader,  he  will  get  a  de¬ 
sirable  point  of  view  not  otherwise  possible. 
All  his  skill  as  an  observer,  natural  and  ac¬ 
quired,  will  be  needed.  He  should  avoid  be¬ 
ing  steered  by  the  librarian  to  see  the  favor¬ 
able  aspects  of  the  place,  and  on  the  other 
hand  should  free  himself  from  the  suspicion 
that  he  is  a  cold  and  carping  critic.  A  genu¬ 
ine  human  interest  in  the  work  of  the  library 
and  in  each  worker  would  remove  all  diffi¬ 
culties  and  secure  the  best  results.  Some  time 
should  be  spent  in  getting  an  idea  of  the  city, 
that  a  judgment  may  be  formed  as  to  how  the 


library  or  libraries  of  the  place  fit  their  condi¬ 
tions.  The  stay  should  be  long  enough  to 
form  such  a  judgment.  It  was  my  good  for¬ 
tune  to  make  a  study  of  the  Osterhout  Library 
of  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  during  the  lifetime  of 
Miss  Hannah  P.  James.  With  her  generous 
co-operation  ten  days  sufficed.  Institutions 
that  are  larger  and  more  complete  would  re¬ 
quire  more  time. 

Having  by  such  means  a  pretty  full  and  ac¬ 
curate  knowledge  of  the  history  and  present 
standing  of  a  given  library,  is  the  investigator 
to  give  his  audience  a  resume  of  his  material  ? 
By  no  means.  Knowing  many  things  about 
the  library,  he  should  be  able  to  fasten  upon 
the  significant  things  which  distinguish  it 
from  others  of  its  class.  An  institution  has 
an  individuality  just  as  a  person  has.  The 
lectures  on  representative  libraries  should  re¬ 
veal  the  individuality  of  each  library  and 
should  attempt  nothing  else.  A  skeleton  of  ♦ 
facts  can  be  supplied  by  the  syllabus.  The 
lecture  must  make  the  dry  bones  live. 

To  illustrate.  The  Standard  Library  in  its 
own  room  is  clearly  one  of  the  characteristic 
activities  of  the  Providence  Public  Library. 

A  person  studying  that  library  would  become 
a  reader  in  the  standard  room.  He  would 
haunt  it  at  different  hours  during  his  entire 
stay.  He  would  find  out  how  much  it  is  used 
and  by  whom.  He  would  secure  such  pictures 
of  the  room  with  readers  in  it,  as  to  give  a  fair 
idea  of  its  use.  The  underlying  idea  of  this 
collection,  and  its  actual  usefulness  would  be 
set  forth  in  the  lecture. 

By  the  plan  of  presentation  just  outlined 
several  libraries  could  be  treated  in  one  lec¬ 
ture.  Those  of  the  same  type  and  of  about 
the  same  size  would  naturally  be  considered 
together.  It  would  be  feasible  to  write  out 
each  lecture  on  representative  libraries  in  two 
or  three  forms,  short,  medium  and  full,*  so 
that  various  combinations  might  be  made  in 
delivering  them.  One  locality  might  desire 
a  specially  full  treatment  of  a  certain  library, 
but  be  satisfied  with  the  “short”  treatment  of 
others. 

I  believe  that  there  is  nothing  to  gain  and 
much  to  lose  by  serious  criticism  of  individual 
libraries  in  the  lectures,  though  some  phases 
of  their  work  might  warrant  it.  The  failures 
or  limitations  of  a  given  library  could,  how- 

*The  terms  are  used  in  this  sense  by  Mr.  C.  A. 
Cutter,  in  his  “Rules  for  a  dictionary  catalogue.” 


5 


ever,  be  brought  out  emphatically  in  a  general 
treatment  of  libraries  of  its  type.  They  could 
also  be  shown  by  implication.  It  goes  with¬ 
out  saying  that  the  reference  department  of  a 
university  library  should  be  one  of  its  strong¬ 
est  departments.  Therefore  if  that  depart¬ 
ment  of  a  given  library  were  not  brought  out 
as  one  of  its  main  features,  the  omission 
would  amount  to  an  indictment  of  the  insti¬ 
tution  for  failing  to  live  up  to  commonly 
recognized  standards. 

The  material  gathered  for  the  lectures  on 
representative  libraries  could  be  shifted  to 
throw  light  in  a  comparative  way  on  any  sub¬ 
ject  of  general  interest,  or  of  particular  in¬ 
terest  to  a  group  of  people.  A  few  such  sub¬ 
jects  are  indicated  above.  There  is  scarcely 
any  limit  to  the  possibilities  in  this  direction. 

The  same  material  could  be  re-shifted,  and, 
with  some  additions,  provide  a  series  of  lec¬ 
tures  on  the  library  facilities  of  different  cities 
and  different  sections  of  the  country.  Such 
an  exhibit  might  be  made  interesting,  and'  at 
the  same  time  serviceable  in  revealing  dread¬ 
ful  gaps  to  be  filled. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  with  the  notes 
and  slides  in  hand  a  few  lectures  might  be 
written  for  the  general  public  which  should 
give  them  a  more  intelligent  conception  of  the 
library  and  incline  them  to  use  its  privileges 
and  to  support  it  liberally. 

The  notes  of  the  investigator  should  be 
mad'e  available  so  far  as  feasible  to  the  facul¬ 
ties  of  library  schools.  Any  library  should 
also  be  free  to  ask  that  a  comparison  be  made 
on  any  mooted  point,  thus  saving  the  burden 
of  many  a  questionnaire.  The  lecture  mate¬ 
rial  must  be  kept  up  to  date  and  the  lectures 
themselves  be  constantly  under  revision.  They 
should  be  listened  to  for  the  sake  of  criticism 
by  all  those  competent  to  criticise.  It  is 
doubtless  true  that  such  listeners  would  find 
the  lectures  more  illuminating  and'  suggestive 
than  students  and  assistants.  One  of  the  most 
successful  administrators  in  the  country,  a 
man  whose  methods  are  widely  copied,  tells 
me  that  nothing  is  of  so  much  service  to  him 
in  the  management  of  his  institution  as  visits 
to  other  libraries.  These  lectures  would 
serve  the  same  end  as  library  visits,  though 
in  a  less  effective  way. 

Believing  in  the  need  of  such  a  course  and 
having  the  freedom  and  leisure  which  are  es¬ 
sential  to  developing  it,  I  have  begun  the 


work.  A  few  lectures  are  already  available. 
I  purpose  to  carry  forward  the  plan  so  far  as 
possible,  ultimately  leaving  the  notes,  lectures 
and  slides  either  to  the  American  Library  As¬ 
sociation  or  to  the  library  school  best  equipped 
to  make  them  useful  and  to  carry  forward  the 
work.  I  should  welcome  now  or  at  any  time 
the  aid  of  other  investigators. 

I  have  the  impression  that  Mr.  Theodore 
Wesley  Koch  has  been  working  along  the 
lines  indicated  above,  in  his  study  of  Car¬ 
negie  libraries.  The  results  of  his  study  he  has 
given  as  an  illustrated'  lecture.  He  has  also 
in  preparation  “A  book  of  Carnegie  libra¬ 
ries.”  Under  the  title  “A  portfolio  of  Car¬ 
negie  libraries”  he  issued  in  1907  the  illustra¬ 
tions  for  the  forthcoming  volume.  That  there 
is  a  growing  interest  in  the  history  of  Ameri¬ 
can  libraries  is  evidenced  not  only  by  the 
work  of  Mr.  Johnston,  Miss  Sharp  and  Mr. 
Koch,  but  also  by  such  articles  as  “College 
libraries  in  the  mid-nineteenth  century,”  by 
Mr.  W.  N.  Chattin  Carlton.  ( See  Library 
journal,  November,  1907.)  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  we  may  ultimately  have  the  “Handbook 
of  American  libraries,”  which  Mr.  Frederick 
J.  Teggart  is  editing. 

I  do  not  conceive  of  the  work  in  which  I 
am  engaged  as  merely  a  personal  undertaking. 
No  one  could  make  such  a  study  without  the 
hearty  and  sympathetic  co-operation  of  li¬ 
brary  workers.  The  chief  librarian  and  the 
humblest  assistant  may  help,  or,  failing  to 
help,  will  hinder.  If  there  is  a  real  need  for 
such  a  study  of  American  libraries,  every  one 
in  the  work  has  a  certain  responsibility  in 
helping  to  make  it  fair,  and  complete  and  ser¬ 
viceable.  Each  lecture  should  represent  a  con¬ 
sensus  of  the  judgment  and  insight  of  all  those 
fitted  to  judge  and  to  see. 

If  the  plan  outlined  meets  the  approval  of 
the  profession  and  a  genuine  co-operation 
takes  place,  we  may  have  within  ten  or  fifteen 
years  a  course  of  lectures  from  which  stu¬ 
dents  and  library  staffs  all  over  the  country 
can  easily  gain  a  good  working  knowledge  of 
American  library  conditions.  Such  a  knowl¬ 
edge  would  quicken  interest,  diffuse  the  finest 
spirit,  and  tend  to  the  breadth  of  view,  bal¬ 
ance  and  sanity  which  are  requisites  of  the 
best  educational  work.  A  widespread  intelli¬ 
gence  as  to  library  conditions  would  be  sure 
to  result  in  a  material  improvement  of  those 
conditions. 


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